Electricity North West, the region’s power network operator, launched its newly created ‘Empowering our Communities’ fund last month.
The fund helps groups across the North West address community energy issues as well as ensuring vulnerable customers are not left behind.
Funding, from £1,000 - £50,000 is up for grabs and since launching, applications have flooded in.
The closing date, midnight on Friday November 8, is fast approaching and Helen Seagrave, community energy manager at Electricity North West, is calling on groups to submit applications now before time runs out.
“We’ve had an excellent response from groups across the North West,” she said.
“But we still want to hear from more groups who want to address community energy issues, help combat fuel poverty, or help vulnerable customers in their respective areas.
“There is a big onus on communities being more resilient and as the region’s power network operator, we want to offer support and encourage this.
“Funding can be used for a wide range of things including producing materials or buying equipment, the application process is really simple and I’d encourage people to get involved now!”
The Empowering our Communities fund was created following the amalgamation of the firm’s successful Powering our Communities fund and Vulnerable Customer Grants which means more money is now available to apply for.
The fund is in place to help communities become more resilient, through generating their own energy, supporting energy efficiency or promoting information to help customers in vulnerable circumstances.
Criteria is broad and applications will be accepted from a range of organisations including community benefit societies, industrial provident societies, charities, schools and local authorities.
Successful applicants will be notified in February 2020 for projects to start in April 2020.
The majority of the project must be located in the Electricity North West licence area. Application forms should be submitted to communityandlocalenergy@enwl.co.uk.
For more information about the Empowering our Communities fund, please visit our dedicated webpage or check out a video about the project on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrrodE5IbYE.
